Most companies are not “organizations.” They are just “amplified founders.” If the Founder is a genius, the company wins. If the Founder is tired, the company stalls. If the Founder leaves, the company dies.
This is not a business; this is a Cult of Personality.
The Definition of World-Class
A World-Class Organization is an entity where the Standard survives the Creator. It is a machine that has achieved Escape Velocity from the competence of its leader.
The 3 Tests of the Machine
1. The “Bus Factor” Test: If your top 3 leaders (including you) were hit by a bus tomorrow, would the quality of the product drop in 6 months?
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In a Cult, the quality collapses.
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In a World-Class Organization, the quality stays the same (or improves) because the Process is the boss, not the Person.
2. The “Immune System” Test: When a bad hire joins, what happens?
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In a mediocre company, they hide for years.
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In a World-Class company, the Team rejects them like a virus within 30 days. The culture is so dense that mediocrity cannot survive in the oxygen.
3. The “Institutional Memory” Test: When a mistake happens, is it repeated 6 months later?
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World-Class organizations turn “Errors” into “Protocols.” They never make the same mistake twice. They update the OS.
The Goal
Your job is not to be the genius. Your job is to build a machine that makes genius inevitable.
#DhandheKaFunda: If you are the smartest person in the room, you have built a ceiling, not a foundation.